Resources

Travel Resources

A complete list of all my essential traveling, packing, safety, booking, and blogging resources! Everything you need for the perfect trip and travel blog. Happy Travels!

**Note: This post contains Amazon Affiliate/other affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase I will receive a commission at no additional cost to you!**

Flights

Skyscanner:Skyscanner is one of the best search engines for finding low-cost flights worldwide. I use Skyscanner when I’m backpacking and before my trip when I’m planning my travel itinerary and budget.

Kayak: I’m sure Kayak needs no introduction but just in case, Kayak is a flight search engine that compares prices from multiple airlines and presents them to you for the days that you want. Kayak makes it so easy to find the best prices by giving you the option to compare nearby airports and different dates. When I’m backpacking I use Skyscanner but when I’m traveling around the US, I pull up Kayak.

Travel Insurance

InsureMyTrip: I use InsureMyTrip to find the best travel insurance plan for the best price. InsureMyTrip compares plans from multiple companies and you just scroll through until you find the one that fits your needs. Travel insurance is an absolute necessity when traveling. If you fall ill, lose your baggage or need to cancel your trip for any reason, you can rest easy knowing you are covered.

Packing Essentials

Osprey Porter 46: This is my travel pack. This is THE travel pack. I cannot recommend this backpack enough. I have used it for every backpacking trip I have gone on for the last three years and it still looks as snazzy as the day I bought it. The Osprey Porter is very sturdy and well-made. No flimsy zippers or tearing seams. Another important feature is that this bag is the perfect carry-on size for worldwide travel. Budget airline employees in Europe and Southeast didn’t even blink when I strolled on the plane with it. Check out the Porter 46 and see if it’s right for your trip.

Travelon Anti-Theft Bag: I carry theTravelon Anti-Theft Bag when I travel for protection and peace of mind. A few of its features are slash-proof straps so thieves can’t literally ‘cut and run’, RFID blocking and locking compartments to prevent sly pick-pocketing. This is just one of the tools I use to stay safe on the road. Read this article if you want more safety tips for solo female travel.

Packing Cubes: I refused to get on the packing cubebandwagon for a long time because I’m just stubborn like that. But then came time for me to pack my entire life for a move to South Korea. I broke down and decided to give the Cubes a try and turns out everything people said was true. My clothes, toiletries and miscellaneous are now always organized and compact instead of a wrinkled, bunched-up mess rolling around in my pack and hiding from me when I need to get things out. Invest in your own set of packing cubes and make your travel life 100x easier.

Satin Pillowcase: I never leave home without my satin pillowcase. Never. Sleeping on satin is so much better for your face and hair because it is not as absorbent as cotton. Cotton pillowcases leech all the moisture out of your head then leaves you with lines all over your face to add insult to injury. Since switching to satin I have noticed a significant change in the health of my hair. It’s very unlikely that you’ll book with accommodations that have satin pillowcases for their guests so make sure to pack your own. Head over to Amazon now to buy your hair the best giftit will ever get.

Travel Bottles: My hair is a demanding mistress and she will only stand specific products. To make sure I always have the right shampoo, conditioner, leave-in conditioner and nourishing oils I put them in travel bottles. Easy to pack and carry-on compliant.

Travel Towel: Hostels don’t often provide their guests with a towel and if they do it’s usually at a cost. To save myself time and money I pack this super absorbent, quick drying towel. It’s easy to pack and you never have to worry about lugging around a wet, mildewy piece of cloth.

Accommodations

Hostelworld: Hostelworld will fulfill all your hostel booking needs. You have prices, locations, reviews, availability and responsive customer service all in one place. There maybe be other hostel booking sites out there, I don’t know because I have never needed to look elsewhere. Hostelworldhas it all.

Agoda: For the occasions when I choose a hotel over a hostel. Agoda is one of the sites I use to find good deals. I highly recommend checking prices on Agodabefore you book anywhere else. This site has already saved me up to 100 dollars (USD).

Expedia:Expedia is a great site for finding good deals on flights and hotels. A nice little one-stop shop.

On The Road

NordVPN: While you’re traveling you are going to need to connect to the internet at some point. Actually, you’re probably going to need to connect at every point. Let’s face it the internet has become as essential to us as air and water. That’s why I use a VPN or Virtual Private Network. A VPN establishes a secure connection that protects you and your browsing history when you are using public networks.

Travel Journal: You’re going to want to remember all the amazing things you did and the people you met on your adventures. Memories fade so keep them safe in your journal.

Travel Blogging Resources

Siteground: If you are looking to start a self-hosted blog then your first stop should be Siteground. Siteground has plans for as low as $3.95 a month coupled with reliable service, security, and support. When I was searching for the right hosting sight I read so many horror stories about sites going down every other day and barely any customer support. But along with those horror stories I also found a bunch of reviewers raving about Siteground. I decided to take the plunge and it was one of my better decisions. You can download WordPress through Siteground for free and start blogging right away. Read my blogging journey to help you get started building your own travel blog: Building A Travel Blog.

Themeforest: You can use a free WordPress theme for your blog or you can buy a Premium Theme. A premium theme will give you more choices when it comes to customizing your blog. If you decide to go Premium then Themeforest is a great choice and it also happens to be where I bought my own theme. They have many other themes for prices as low as $10.

Canva: Canva is….there aren’t really any words that fully describe how awesome Canva is. You can use this site to design your logo, create your Pinterest pins, your blog banner, everything you need to put that custom stamp on your brand. The free version has more than enough to keep you going but you can upgrade if you want a few more perks.

Social Warfare: The beautiful social buttons on this site are all due to Social Warfare. If you are out there writing amazing content then, of course, you want people to share that content. Not only are their share buttons cute but Social Warfare also gives you the option to customize the images and descriptions that will be shared on different social media platforms. Check out this plugin and get Social Warfare for your blog.

About Me

Hi, I'm Diamond, yes really, Diamond!

I'm a twenty-something solo traveler who hops from country to country with a nothing but a backpack and a journal. My blog is geared towards inspiring women of all flavors and varieties to travel solo.

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